Programme Specification
A statement of the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin a
taught programme of study leading to an award from
The University of Sheffield
1. Programme Title
2. Programme Code
3. JACS Code
Structural and Concrete Engineering
CIVT02 (CIVT20 – part-time)
H210
Structural Engineering
CIVT07 (CIVT70 – part-time)
Steel Construction
CIVT16 (CIVT17 – part-time)
Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics
CIVT47 (CIVT48 – part-time)
4
Level of Study
Postgraduate
5a
Final Qualification
Master of Science in Engineering (MSc(Eng))
5b
QAA FHEQ Level
Masters
6
Intermediate Qualification(s)
Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), Postgraduate Diploma
(PGDip)
7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield)
Not applicable
8
Faculty
Engineering
9
Department
Civil and Structural Engineering
10
Other Department(s) involved in
teaching the programme
None
11
Mode(s) of Attendance
Full-time or Part-time
12
Duration of the Programme
1 year or 2 years
13
Accrediting Professional or Statutory
Body
Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) of the Institution of Civil
Engineers (ICE), Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE),
Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) and
Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) http://www.jbm.org.uk/
14
Date of production/revision
March 2015
15. Background to the programme and subject area
Structural Engineering is primarily concerned with the design and construction of buildings and engineering
structures that must safely resist the forces they will experience over the design life-span. The work of a
Structural Engineer requires that attention also be given to the efficient use of materials, safety and speed of
construction, aesthetics, long-term durability and maintenance. World-wide concerns over environmental impact
meant that Structural Engineers also need to take into consideration sustainability issues in their design and
chosen materials. Buildings and structures must also be capable of withstanding accidental damage,
earthquakes, fire and explosions. Rapid developments in analysis, design and construction practice require that
Structural Engineers be conversant with a wide range of analysis and design techniques and develop skills that
are not routinely available at undergraduate level.
Postgraduate programmes in Structural and Concrete Engineering, Structural Engineering, Steel Construction
and Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics afford new civil engineering graduates and professional
engineers the opportunity to advance their knowledge and skills in specialised areas of Structural Engineering.
Although the programmes are ideally suited for those already holding a civil engineering degree, others with an
appropriate first degree will also benefit if they wish to diversify into Structural Engineering. All programmes
incorporate the study of modules at the forefront of Structural Engineering. Depending on the programme
chosen, students will be able to study advanced modules in, for example, Fire Engineering, Computational
Structural Analysis, Structural Dynamics, Sustainable Concrete Technology, FRP Composites in Construction,
Blast and Impact, Earthquake Engineering and Fatigue and Fracture, all of which are taught by academics who
are active researchers and leaders in their fields. In the last Research Assessment Exercise, 100% of our
research was assessed as being 'recognised internationally' with 85% as being 'world leading' or 'internationally
excellent'.
1
219515065 – ver15-16
Further information about the programmes may be found on the internet at http://www.shef.ac.uk/civil/pg
16. Programme aims
The aims of the programmes are to:
1. provide access to Masters degree programmes to graduates or professionals from a variety of backgrounds;
2. help fulfilment of student potential and engender a commitment to self improvement and development of
personal transferable skills;
3. provide graduate engineers with general, personal, professional and analytical skills, design experience and
an advanced understanding of a specialist branch of structural engineering;
4. provide teaching that is informed and invigorated by the research and scholarship of the staff;
5. prepare students for technical leadership in a professional career;
6. compare and contrast the concepts, design and application of technology in the UK, Europe and overseas;
7. enable students to obtain greater knowledge and deeper understanding of one of the following:

structural engineering

design and construction of steel structures, including behaviour in fire and fatigue and fracture

design, construction, durability and repair of sustainable concrete structures

earthquake and structural dynamics, and blast and impact effects on structures
17. Programme learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: On successful completion of each programme, MSc and Diploma students
will have knowledge and understanding of:
K1
fundamental principles and practice of advanced engineering science relevant to structural engineering.
K2
advanced analytical methods used in structural engineering.
K3
advanced understanding of approaches to design using the latest UK and European codes.
K4
specialist knowledge of modern and innovative construction materials and methods.
In addition to K1-K4, on successful completion of each programme, MSc students will have knowledge and
understanding of:
K5
research methods and techniques.
K6
a research topic related to the specific degree programme.
Skills and other attributes: On successful completion of each programme, MSc and Diploma students will be
able to:
S1
conceptualise and solve structural engineering problems.
S2
write computer programs to perform analysis of structural engineering problems and make appropriate
use of software for analysis and design.
S3
critically review information, synthesise information, interpret data and learn independently.
S4
exercise independent thought and judgement.
S5
work individually and collaboratively.
In addition to S1-S5, on successful completion of each programme, MSc students will be able to:
S6
plan and perform research to investigate a technical problem.
S7
carry out an extended item of individual investigative technical work.
S8
present and orally defend individual investigative technical work.
Students awarded a Postgraduate Certificate will have achieved many of the learning outcomes K1-K4 and S1S5 but not all, depending on the modules in which they have been awarded credits.
2
219515065 – ver15-16
18.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the programme learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching and
learning methods:

Lectures – used to transmit information, explain theories and concepts, and illustrate methods of analysis or
design. For most lecture programmes, tutorial sheets are provided to enable students to develop their
understanding during private-study.

Practical classes - students undertake laboratory work, computing and use of software to gain practical
skills.

Coursework assignments - generally require students to seek additional information and work on their own,
or sometimes in small groups, to develop understanding of subject matter.

Tutorials and example classes - run for the whole class to help students with their understanding and to
resolve problems as they work through tutorial sheets.

Design classes - students work to solve design problems related to real engineering situations in order to
learn design methods and to practise associated analytical techniques.

Group design projects - teams, typically of 4 or 5 students, tackle a realistic engineering design brief by
working through conceptual and detailed design stages. These projects develop a wide range of skills,
including team-working and communication skills.

Dissertation – a major research study carried out over the summer. It is supervised by a member of the
academic staff but allows the student ample scope to display initiative, originality and creativity.
Opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the programme learning outcomes are provided through
the following assessment methods:

Written examinations – typically of 2 or 3 hours duration.

Coursework submissions - these include design studies, laboratory reports, computational assignments
and research reports.

Class tests - tests conducted in a lecture theatre or workroom during the main teaching periods to assess
progress, as an alternative to more formal assessment methods. Students sometimes submit pre-prepared
work on tutorial sheets for assessment.

Oral presentations and interviews – students make individual presentations of their structural group
design.
The audience includes academic staff and fellow students. An individual interview with two
academic staff is held as part of the assessment of the Dissertation.

Group design project reports – written reports assembled by teams of students with shared authorship.

Individual project reports – these include intermediate and final written reports for the Dissertation and
other written reports describing individual work on group design projects.
The main teaching, learning and assessment methods adopted for each learning outcome are shown below. In
most cases a combination of methods is used.
3
219515065 – ver15-16
●
●
K2 Analytical methods
●
●
●
K3 Design methods
●
●
K4 Construction methods
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Individual project reports
●
Group design project reports
K1 Fundamental principles
Oral presentations / interviews
for full text)
Coursework submissions
Written examinations
Dissertation
Group design projects
Design classes
Tutorials /examples classes
ASSESSMENT
Lectures
(abbreviated - see Section
17
Coursework assignments
LEARNING OUTCOME
Practical classes
TEACHING / LEARNING
●
K5 Research methods
●
●
●
K6 Research topic
●
●
●
S1 Solve problems
S2 Write/use software for
analysis, use lab tests
●
●
●
●
S3 Independent learning
●
●
●
S4 Independent
thought/judgement
●
●
●
S5 Individual/collaborative
working
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
S6 Plan/perform research
●
●
●
S7 Original technical work
●
●
●
S8 Present and defend work
orally
●
●
19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (2008)
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/The-framework-for-higher-educationqualifications-in-England-Wales-and-Northern-Ireland.aspx
Master’s degree characteristics, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2010.
Guidelines for an MSc Programme, Joint Board of Moderators of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE),
Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) and
Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE)
Subject Benchmark Statements
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/subject-guidance/Pages/Subject-benchmarkstatements.aspx
University Strategic Plan
4
219515065 – ver15-16
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/strategicplan
Learning and Teaching Strategy (2011-16)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/strategy/lts11_16
20. Programme structure and regulations
The programme structure is modular and runs full-time for 12 months or part-time over two years. Full-time
students study 60 credits per semester and, for an MSc, prepare a dissertation worth a further 60 credits. Apart
from the dissertation, the programme comprises 15 credit
modules each taught in six week blocks.
Examination assessment of all modules is carried out during the last three weeks of the semester concerned.
Students choose a dissertation topic in their first six week and prepare for their dissertation work in the second
block of the first semester, as part of a module containing a research skills preparation component. Over the
summer, MSc students work full-time on a research topic and prepare a dissertation for submission in early
September. All students prepare a research paper for presentation at an annual MSc Conference held in the
middle of September.
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression
and descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html.
21. Student development over the course of study
Autumn Semester modules are designed to first consolidate previous learning and build key skills, e.g. team
work and student centred learning before progressing onto more advanced material later in the semester.
Spring Semester modules are all at a more advanced level and reflect the specialised nature of the individual
programmes.
Most students enrol on the MSc programme but less qualified students may be offered a place on the
Postgraduate Diploma programme with a view to upgrading to the MSc, subject to satisfactory performance in
the Autumn semester. Once the Autumn semester examination results are available, students are counselled on
their performance and made aware of the implications of any shortfalls in performance.
22. Criteria for admission to the programme
Minimum 2:1 UK Honours degree (BEng, MEng, BSc) with a strong background in relevant subjects, or an
equivalent international degree qualification in Civil/Structural Engineering or other appropriate
engineering/science discipline. We will consider applicants offering appropriate professional qualifications and
experience. In this case we require a strong background in areas covered in the chosen course.
Our standard English requirement is IELTS 6.5 (with no marks less than 6.0 in each component) or equivalent.
Detailed information, regarding admission to the various programmes is available at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/civil/pg
5
219515065 – ver15-16
23. Additional information
Academic staff in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering are organised into research groups that
reflect their specific areas of research activity. The Structures Group is the largest research group in the
Department and contains staff whose interests encompass both fundamentals and applications. Work at the
fundamental level aims to enhance understanding of the behaviour of structures and materials under a variety of
environmental conditions, loadings and accidental actions. At the applied level the group co-operates with
industry in extending the limits of structural design, and in developing innovative forms of construction.
Researchers make use of a variety of advanced analytical modelling and experimental methods. Masters
students are taught in a research-led environment and the programmes reflect the research strengths of staff in
the Structures Group. Current research activities are summarised below:

Steel-framed and composite structures - developing design methods for safer and more economic
construction in steel, on the basis of an understanding of real structural behaviour at ambient temperatures
and in fire conditions. The Structural Fire Engineering research group is concerned with the fire resistance
behaviour of steel and composite structures. Understanding of structural action in fire has been progressed
by analytical studies using numerical modelling software VULCAN, which has been used by leading
specialist consultants to support advanced fire engineering design and fire protection strategies for major
construction projects.

Concrete and masonry materials and structures - studying the performance of cementitious, masonry and
reinforcing materials, and associated construction techniques, leading to more efficient, durable and
sustainable design of reinforced concrete and masonry structures. The Department is host to the Centre for
Cement and Concrete, which is the largest concrete academic research centre in the UK. Its internationallevel experts specialise in cement chemistry, aggregate science, binder technology, concrete technology,
concrete durability, alternative concreting materials, structural performance and design, earthquake and
nuclear reactor design and finite element analysis.

Structural dynamics – covering blast and impact loading, and the vibration response of structures to human
excitation. The Department has extensive experimental and analytical facilities, including the CEDUS (Civil
Engineering Dynamics at the University of Sheffield) laboratories at Buxton.

Computation mechanics- research involves developing a deeper understanding of the mechanical behaviour
of materials and structures, so that they can be used optimally or manipulated according to specific needs;
hence mechanics and design become intertwined.
Further details about the department, research groups, programmes offered and admission procedures can be
found on the internet at http://www.shef.ac.uk/civil
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be
considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the University. In
addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University of Sheffield can
be accessed via our Student Services web site at http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid.
6
219515065 – ver15-16